VÄTE Rail Signs Agreement for 25 Rear-View Cameras
VÄTE Rail has entered into a call-off agreement with Railway Metrics and Dynamics (RMD) for 25 rear-view cameras. This marks another step forward in VÄTE Rail’s digitalization of its fleet.
Early Adopters of Digitalization
VÄTE Rail began its digitalization journey early and has always aimed to stay at the forefront. At the end of 2023, the company started testing and evaluating RMD's rearview cameras during shunting operations in the Port of Trelleborg.
In 2024, 90 freight wagons and 20 locomotives were equipped with PMUs (Performance Monitoring Units) from RMD. The data is visualized in RMD’s "Train Management System," providing the company with real-time control of its entire fleet, from Sundsvall to Trelleborg.
The latest agreement includes an additional 25 rearview cameras, which will be deployed in early 2025.
– The advantages of the rearview camera are obvious. It completely eliminates risky work tasks and frees up personnel for other duties. Everything the camera records can be monitored online via a dashboard, which can provide extra support to the train driver if needed. Visibility in the direction of travel is excellent, although in poor weather conditions, reversing might need to be done at a slightly slower pace, says Jan G. Forslund, VÄTE Rail.
Swedish Work Environment Authority’s Ban
After several incidents and fatal accidents, the Swedish Work Environment Authority decided in 2024 to ban riding on footboards, with a fine of SEK 15 million for violations. The ban, initially aimed at Green Cargo, was set to take effect on September 3 but was postponed until June 1, 2025, following an appeal.
– “It’s likely that the ban will apply to all operators. We began evaluating the rearview camera in 2024, and it works excellently. Replacing hazardous tasks with a camera to prevent accidents benefits everyone,” says Jan G. Forslund.
800–1,200 Rear-View Cameras Needed in Sweden Alone
We estimate that the Swedish market’s demand for rearview cameras is between 800 and 1,200 units, representing more than SEK 50 million in annual rental turnover. With the growing focus on safety in the railway sector, we anticipate that the Nordic market will follow Sweden’s lead, and that both the rest of Europe and the Nordics will adopt similar measures.
– “This is just the beginning. The entire European market will implement the same ban, so the potential is substantial. Rearview cameras can replace signal operators and allow the train driver to remain in the locomotive during reversing in many scenarios. Avoiding even a single accident is enough to make the investment in rearview cameras worthwhile,” says Jan Lindqvist, CEO of Railway Metrics and Dynamics.
RMD’s updated, state-of-the-art rearview camera is already in use by several Swedish operators, including TX Logistik, Green Cargo, VÄTE Rail, and CFL Cargo. Currently, tests are also being conducted by Germany’s Havelländische Eisenbahn AG and Finland’s Fenniarail OY.
For more information, please contact:
Jan Lindqvist, CEO
Phone: +46 (0)70-587 76 26
Email: jan.lindqvist@railwaymetrics.com
About VÄTE Rail
VÄTE Rail specializes in shunting, terminal services, and train haulage. The parent company, Prouisum Holding AB, and its three subsidiaries, VÄTE Rail AB, VÄTE Trafik AB, and VÄTE Teknik AB, currently employ over 100 people. The company’s vision is to become Sweden’s greenest freight operator. During Innotrans 2024, the company signed an agreement to replace all 20 locomotives with brand-new hydrogen locomotives of the SM42-6Dn type from Polish manufacturer Pesa.
At the turn of the year, the sister company VÄTE Trafik took over shunting operations for SSAB in Borlänge and Oxelösund.
About Railway Metrics and Dynamics Sweden AB (publ)
RMD is a Swedish IT company that develops and sells a system platform for real-time analysis and monitoring of transportation and infrastructure. The platform consists of a cloud- and real-time-based system featuring patented technology, leveraging advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence, for asset management. Initially, the company has focused on the railway industry—such as locomotives, train cars, rails, and other railway infrastructure—but RMD’s system is also well-suited for other transportation and infrastructure markets, including construction and public sectors. For players in the railway industry, the system enables more efficient, safe, punctual, and profitable operations. RMD's shares are traded on NGM Nordic SME.
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